Keller’s Korner - 2026 Delray Beach Open

But as always, the heart of the DBO isn’t just the Tennis—it’s the people. Here are some of the memorable conversations I had throughout the week.

Mark Baron – Tournament Director

Mark has been the steady hand guiding the DBO for 36 years—two as a Challenger event and 34 as an ATP tournament. When I asked him for his favorite DBO moment, he didn’t hesitate: When my son Ivan beat the #1 seed in 1992.

Adam Baron – Executive Director

Carrying on the family legacy, Adam oversees the operations of the Open. When asked about the most exciting DBO: Most exciting will be this year. Every year is great. His brother Ivan is the Tournament Chairman and a key to the success of this Open.

Jesse Levine – Legends Event Competitor

A former world No. 69 (2012), Jesse lit up the Legends doubles event once again—his seventh year participating. Night one he partnered with Juan Martin del Potro, and night two with Scoville Jenkins.

On playing the Legends event: it is a lot of fun. I am close to home and friends can attend. It is an honor to play with such stars.

Jesse currently serves as Director of Racquet Sports at the Shell Bay Club, and remains deeply involved in the sport, having coached Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys.

When I asked if he had ever faced antisemitism on tour, he shared a powerful memory: In 2010 in Vienna, Austria I heard antisemitic remarks from some of the fans. I just ignored it and used it as fuel to fire me up. I ended up winning the match.

Jesse’s Jewish identity is meaningful to him—he had his Bar Mitzvah in Boca Raton, reads and writes Hebrew and wears a necklace featuring a mezuzah and a tennis racket.

Amazingly, after his doubles match with Jenkins, Jesse and Scoville signed two balls and hit them into the stands. One of the balls came to me.

Brenda Levine – Jesse’s Mother

Brenda beamed with pride when speaking about her son: His Tennis is amazing, but more importantly he is a kid with a heart and soul. A mensch with a lot of Yiddishkeit.

She shared that Jesse’s father, Nate, played Tennis at Penn State and that she used to draw chalk lines on the driveway so she and Jesse could hit balls together. Jesse’s younger brother, Daniel, has ulcerative colitis and Jesse has long planned to create a foundation to support Daniel and his Uncle Steven, who also battles the disease.

Nate Levine – Jesse’s Father

Nate added a touching memory: I loved seeing Jesse play Tennis with his grandfather Charlie when he was 93 years old. He knew early on that Jesse had the talent to turn pro. We are extremely proud of him. We raised him to be a nice and humble person.

Ben Kittay – Doubles Finalist

At just 22 years old, Ben entered the DBO doubles draw as a wild card with partner Ryan Seggerman. The duo shocked the field, reaching the doubles final and pushing Krajicek/Mektic to a tiebreaker.

On the experience: It is an amazing ATP 250 tournament. The people are super friendly and it’s a great crowd. I was happy to be playing here and getting better every week.

Gary Kittay – Ben’s Father

Gary, who played Tennis at Pikesville High School and the University of Maryland, introduced Ben to the sport when he was just four or five years old. The family was already preparing for their next stop: We’re leaving tonight for an ATP Challenger in Lugano, Switzerland.

Aaron Krickstein – Former World No. 6

A Delray Beach favorite, Aaron reached No. 6 in the world in 1990 and has served as Tennis Director at St. Andrews Country Club since 2001.

He reflected on his DBO memories: My most memorable match was beating John McEnroe in the legends tour. The next year, I beat Michael Chang. Aaron attends the DBO every year and added, I am friends with the Barons and I love it here.

Jonathan Schneider – Local Tennis Enthusiast

Jonathan attends the DBO to support players he knows. This year he came to see Sebastian Korda, having played with Sebastian’s father, Petr Korda.

Tennis runs deep in his family: His grandfather played at Wimbledon. And his father, David, played on the pro tour and competed with many top players.

Off the court, Jonathan owns Wimbledon Real Estate in Boca Raton. Among his clients is former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, whose homes he has sold. He also works in his family’s diamond and jewelry business, Schneider Gem Sales.

A Final Note

It was another great Delray Beach Open.

Neil Keller is a Jewish historian. Visit: www.NeilKeller.com to learn who is Jewish in the world.